International Scan on Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety and Mobility:

May 2009

Sponsored byFederal Highway Administration (FHWA)

American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP)

N C H R P

Outline

1. Introduction2. General Findings: broader issues and themes

that provide context for later details3. Key Findings: details for the 5E’s

– Engineering– Education– Enforcement– Encouragement– Evaluation (Monitoring)

4. Recommendations

2Introduction General Findings Key Findings Recommendations

Scan Tour Objectives

• Improving Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety and Mobility– Policy– Engineering– Education– Enforcement

• Safe Routes to School Programs• Monitoring Usage Levels and Exposure• Safety Research and Evaluation

3Introduction General Findings Key Findings Recommendations

May 2009 Scan Tour

4

Bristol London

Berlin

Potsdam

Winterthur

Bern

Copenhagen

Malmö

Lund

Nakskov

Sweden

United Kingdom

Denmark

Germany

Switzerland

Overall Framework

1. Engineering

2. Enforcement

3. Education

4. Encouragement

5. Evaluation (Monitoring)

5Introduction General Findings Key Findings Recommendations

POLICIES

Deliberate Combinationof Policies and Practices

• Urban and land use policy• Political support at all levels, not just staff• Motor vehicle operating costs• Parking policies• Enforcement policies• Street design hierarchy• Integration with public transport• Connected on-street and off-street networks• Traffic safety education for children• Many other details that make walking and bicycling

easy, convenient, and enjoyable

6Introduction General Findings Key Findings Recommendations

Historical Perspective

7Introduction General Findings Key Findings Recommendations

Winterthur, Switzerland

8Introduction General Findings Key Findings Recommendations

(Source: Presentation by Stefan Gerber, City of Winterthur, Switzerland)

Pedestrian Priority Zone inHistorical City Center, 2009

Winterthur, Switzerland

9(Source: Presentation by Stefan Gerber, City of Winterthur, Switzerland)

1955 1970

20001980

Strøget, Copenhagen, 1960

10Introduction General Findings Key Findings Recommendations

Source: Gehl and Gemzøe, New City Spaces, 2000

Strøget, Copenhagen, 2000

11Introduction General Findings Key Findings Recommendations

Source: Gehl and Gemzøe, New City Spaces, 2000

Bern, Switzerland, 1960s/70s

12Introduction General Findings Key Findings Recommendations

Source: http://www.parlament.ch

Bern, Switzerland, 2009

13Introduction General Findings Key Findings Recommendations

Safety-in-Numbers(Awareness-in-Numbers)

• When pedestrians and bicyclists are a common element on/along streets, motorists expect their presence

• For this reason, biking and walking is actively promoted beyond providing “asphalt and concrete”

14Introduction General Findings Key Findings Recommendations

Engineering Measures for Pedestrians

• Passive detection to call, truncate, extend, or cancel pedestrian phase (PUFFIN signal)

• Near-side pedestrian signal heads

15Introduction General Findings Key Findings Recommendations

Engineering Measures for Pedestrians

• Crossing islands

• Railing to direct pedestrians to preferred crossing locations

• Raised crosswalks at unsignalized crossings

16Introduction General Findings Key Findings Recommendations

Engineering Measures for Bicyclists

Intersection safety

• Convex mirrors

• Advanced stop bars

• Bicycle-specific traffic signals

• Bike boxes

17Introduction General Findings Key Findings Recommendations

Engineering Measures for Bicyclists

Separated facilities

• Cycle tracks

• Cycle paths

18Introduction General Findings Key Findings Recommendations

Engineering Measures for Bicyclists

Pavement markings

• Dashed bike lanes through intersections

• Color at conflict points

• Longitudinal bike symbols

19Introduction General Findings Key Findings Recommendations

Low-Speed Street Design

• Residential and commercial areas

• 20 mph, 20 to 30 kilometers per hour

• 4 conditions for use

20Introduction General Findings Key Findings Recommendations

Widespread Photo Enforcement

• Not just a tool for motor vehicle safety

• Better motorist compliance with speed limits and traffic signals improves walking and biking safety

21Introduction General Findings Key Findings Recommendations

Traffic Safety Education

• Pervasive, widespread, ongoing education programs for children

• Participation from wide range of agencies and organizations

• Branded traffic safety campaigns

22Introduction General Findings Key Findings Recommendations

Encouragement

• Promotion was important for both mode share and safety goals

• Variety of programs and activities– Route signing and maps

– Online travel planners

– Employer-sponsored programs (bike-to-work)

– Public health-sponsored programs

– Government marketing campaigns

23Introduction General Findings Key Findings Recommendations

Integration With Public Transport

• Plentiful, convenient bike parking at stations

• Bikes on trains & buses, even during peaks

• Bike rental or sharing near stations

• Channels/ramps on stairways for bike access

24Introduction General Findings Key Findings Recommendations

Evaluation (Monitoring)

• Regular performance reports that measure progress toward policy goals– Pedestrian and bicyclist

mode share

– Pedestrian and bicyclist safety

• “Showcase” counters in highly visible location

25Introduction General Findings Key Findings Recommendations

Recommended Implementation

1. Establish policies that gives biking & walking modes highest priority in the road user hierarchy– Collect transportation and land use policies and

strategic plans

– Draft examples of successful policies

26Introduction General Findings Key Findings Recommendations

Recommended Implementation

2. Develop & implement a performance reporting program that regularly measures progress toward stated goals

– Performance measure framework

– Data collection systems

27Introduction General Findings Key Findings Recommendations

Recommended Implementation

3. Deploy engineering measures for pedestrian and bicyclist safety (under consideration)– Passive detection– Accessible confirmation for ped pushbuttons– Crossing islands– Raised crosswalks at unsignalized ped crossings– Convex mirrors– Advanced stop bars for bike lanes– Separated facilities– Bicyclist pavement markings

28Introduction General Findings Key Findings Recommendations

Recommended Implementation

4. Evaluate engineering measures in US context (under consideration)– Near side pedestrian signals

– Near side traffic signals at midblock pedestrian crossing

– Bike boxes

– Bicycle traffic signals

29Introduction General Findings Key Findings Recommendations

Recommended Implementation

5. Evaluate applicability of lower-speed street design in commercial and residential areas

6. Develop guidance on best practices for integrating biking and walking with public transit

– Review available TCRP synthesis/case studies

30Introduction General Findings Key Findings Recommendations

Recommended Implementation

7. Institutionalize ongoing traffic safety education at an early age

8. Unify all US traffic safety campaigns under a single national brand

9. Promote the use of photo enforcement as a tool to improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety

10.Develop & implement programs that encourage and enable regular walking and biking

31Introduction General Findings Key Findings Recommendations

Next Steps

• Scan team identified numerous approaches

• Have already started implementation phase

• Will also rely on “champions” in the U.S. to implement policies and practices

32Introduction General Findings Key Findings Recommendations

WANTED:CHAMPIONS